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LAURA DEKKER, the 14-year-old Dutch girl who battled the authorities in order to be allowed sail solo sailing across the world is due to set off today.

The teenager is due to sail from the Portuguese port of Portimão today.

Dekker wishes to break a world record by becoming the youngest person in the world to sail solo around the world. She has experienced several setbacks to her plans, after the Dutch authorities stepped in to prevent her from sailing.

The Dutch child protection agencies had said that the mission woudl endager her physical and mental health. However Dekker’s parents supported her ambition.

Dekker is a highly experienced sailor, having grown up on a boat with her father.

However, Dekker’s attempts may not be be formally recognised as the councils of both the Guinness World Records and the World Sailing Speed Record have ruled to no longer award records for “youngest” sailors.

The councils have done so as they do not wish to encourage young people to undertake solo voyages; a number of teengers have attempted such solo missions, which even for highly skilled sailors are extremely dangerous, and some have had to be rescued after getting into difficulty.

14-YEAR-OLD LAURA Dekker has succeeded in her legal bid to attempt a world sailing record. She had been barred from attempted the round-world journey by Dutch authorities last year, and placed under child protection services.

In October she was placed in state care, but ran away two months later and was discovered in the Dutch Antilles.

A Dutch court ruled in December that she could remain with her father under state supervision, despite his support for her trip. Her mother had expressed her concerns about the attempt, but has since withdrawn her objections.

Dekker’s lawyers said she had met all of the criteria laid down in court in order to be allowed undertake the voyage. This included obtaining a first aid cert and learning sleep management techniques.

She will have to complete the two-year trip before her 17th birthday in September 2012 to break the record. The current record was set in May by Jessica Watson, a 16-year-old from Australia.

In June, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland from the US was rescued during her record attempt after her boat was seriously damaged by a storm.

AFTER BEING DENIED permission to sail solo around the world last year by the Dutch authorities, 14-year-old Laura Dekker has renewed her bid.

Dekker is attempting to break a world record by becoming the youngest person to sail around the world solo and unassisted.

She will need to complete the worldwide trip before 20 September, 2012 – when she turns 17 – to break the record.

Her bid was denied last year, but the court did outline certain areas where she could make progress if she was determined to complete the journey. Dekker’s lawyer said that she has now carried out all the court requests and that she should be permitted to make the trip.

Registered with a distance education facility so she can to continue her education while at sea

Gained solo sailing experience

Learned sleep management techniques

City council social workers have requested that Dekker’s care order to be lifted so she can start her trip. However, the national child protection council wants the court to Dekker extend state supervision for another year.

Despite her mother opposing the plans at first, both Dekker’s parents now support her wish to sail solo. Last weekend her mother wrote an open letter to the authorities pleading with them to grant her daughter’s wishes, and added the the child protection agencies are “criminal organisations” that wanted to break her daughter’s spirit.

Last month 16-year-old Abby Sunderland, who was attempting a solo round the world mission, had to be rescued after she got into difficulty in the Indian Ocean.

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